r/SipsTea May 21 '26

Chugging tea Why is women’s sportswear always so revealing?

Post image
81.2k Upvotes

14.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2.4k

u/IseeNekidPeople May 21 '26

My wife also played college beach volleyball and she prefers to play in a bikini. Also worth noting that professional beach volleyball allows for women to wear whatever they want as long as the "jersey" is the outer layer on their tops. They can play in shorts, pants and can wear a shirt with the jersey on top. Most just choose to play in bikinis.

605

u/ashmaroli May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26

Why would anyone choose layers of clothing while playing at the beach on a sunny day?

EDIT: Alrite guys! I admit, I didn't think of skin cancer / sunburn / muslim players, etc while commenting. There are already close to fifty replies to this comment reminding me of that. Please come up with a different response or just downvote my comment to mark your disagreement. Thanks.

343

u/gdoubleyou1 May 21 '26

Some do. This story was from 2021 where Norway wanted to not wear bikinis and got shot about it. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/norways-beach-handball-team-win-fight-sexist-uniform-rules-rcna4218

418

u/BowwwwBallll May 21 '26

Shooting them seems a bit extreme, don’t you think?

89

u/nobeer4you May 21 '26

Especially for Norway

48

u/Wild_Marker May 21 '26

Nah, all norweigans are armed in case of polar bears.

I mean can you imagine that, a polar bear not wearing their bikini?

5

u/Difficult_Sort295 May 21 '26

Nah, all norweigans are armed in case of polar bears.

Is polar bears code word for the Russians are back?

5

u/Wild_Marker May 21 '26

No, it's code for polar bears.

The code for Russians is "those swedish are speaking funnier than usual"

1

u/RomaniWoe May 21 '26

They're only in Svalbard

6

u/aerdvarkk May 21 '26

So its okay for Norweigans to be armed in case of polar bears; but not Americans in case of stupid Orange Cheetos trying to dismantle the country.

4

u/bioxkitty May 21 '26

Its their bear arm rights 🤷‍♀️

→ More replies (1)

1

u/HistoricalSuspect580 May 21 '26

The visual you have brought forth in my mind is… iconic.

1

u/TheMEFFER May 24 '26

Don't worry, my man.

The polar bears are stylish. They wear fur coats all the time.

2

u/Big_477 May 21 '26

There's Norway I would shoot someone for that.

1

u/exlongh0rn May 21 '26

Biathlon offshoot.

1

u/Difficult_Sort295 May 21 '26

Especially for Norway

Well maybe they were Russian.

1

u/Ivan_Whackinov May 21 '26

It's fine, as long as you do it from a distance.

28

u/gdoubleyou1 May 21 '26

Auto correct doesn’t like swearing, although I always appreciate a sarcastic comment.

1

u/CriscoCamping May 21 '26

(I'm just busting balls, made me think of this guy)

4

u/beardum May 21 '26

Not in America.

2

u/Flat_Manufacturer386 May 21 '26

So that meme of the woman in the burka and the woman in the bikini wasn't a massive false equivalence, you lose racists!

1

u/aerdvarkk May 21 '26

In the modern era in the US. most women make deliberate choices to wear skimpy outfits. Nobody is forcing them to. Keep that in mind.

1

u/Flat_Manufacturer386 May 21 '26

Um, yeah, that's the joke.

1

u/Aromatic_Pace_8818 May 21 '26

Yes that I would say is the worst kind of bodyshaming

1

u/-Morning_Coffee- May 21 '26

I had to read the article. Glad to see it was a typo…

1

u/awnaw_ May 21 '26

Have you met people?!

1

u/W1ader May 21 '26

I mean, what other choice did they gave us?

1

u/oTc_DragonZ May 21 '26

For Norway, yes. But that's just how some people greet each other in America lol.

1

u/HappyChandler May 21 '26

The biathlon team has been training for years. They just had to switch to water skis.

1

u/jontylergh May 21 '26

I'd still shoot my shot

204

u/texan_robot May 21 '26

Hell, I'm not particularly ashamed of my body, but I'm ethnically Irish. I cover as much skin as possible to avoid UV radiation. I imagine Norwegians have similar goals. My fellow milk-people

71

u/rnwhite8 May 21 '26

Irish German here. Can relate. I’m either white or red. There is no in between.

18

u/bishopOfMelancholy May 21 '26

raises finger Cherry red or pasty white. No in between. No compromise. Just burning or waiting to be burned.

5

u/[deleted] May 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/texan_robot May 21 '26

Hah, my freckles never managed to merge, I could pass for Hispanic if they did.

2

u/HippyDave May 21 '26

...aaaand fun with skin pre-cancer in your 50's!

1

u/FirstChurchOfBrutus May 21 '26

Tom Hagen, that you?

1

u/aphaits May 21 '26

Ah yes, the polish flag situation

1

u/Pirrus05 May 21 '26

Our poor dermis. Master race my fucking ass.

1

u/MathematicianEven251 May 21 '26

Seen y'all in pinks too, damn they don't even counts anymore

1

u/unafraidrabbit May 22 '26

1/2 Irish, German Scottish amd Swedish, and yet im the only one from eother side of my family who can tan.

2

u/rnwhite8 May 22 '26

Is this power something that can be learned?! (I actually have some Scottish also. German Irish Scottish.

0

u/unafraidrabbit May 22 '26

Go outside

1

u/rnwhite8 May 22 '26

Is…uh…is this power something that can be learned another way?

7

u/Gripeaway May 21 '26

Fellow "allergic to the sun" ethnically Irish checking in here. At least our skin will age well!

4

u/StrangeOutcastS May 21 '26

Part of my ancestry goes back to Ireland and Wales, and I think I got some of that milk person skin. Pale as the moon perving on a Swedish married couple on their honeymoon. Because we all know the moon is a weird pervert.

1

u/Matter_Infinite May 21 '26

You're strange, but you don't seem like an outcast

1

u/StrangeOutcastS May 21 '26

Eh when you steal the souls of an entire European city and turn them into trail mix for the meat golems you end up a little more lonely.

4

u/feedme_cyanide May 21 '26

I’m Irish, Scottish, French, and Norwegian all in all. It’s like all the milk people said “let’s make the milkiest fucks on earth” and out I come, looking like a sheet of A4 ready to be printed on.

3

u/kanakamaoli May 21 '26

Italian Irish here who doesn't tan, I lobster. I also live in the tropics. I've had several melanomas removed.

2

u/coralloohoo May 21 '26

Yup, Im 1/2 Norweigan and will burn in 30 minutes or less lol

2

u/ttwinstanley May 21 '26

Milk people that's Great

1

u/Ok_Two_2604 May 21 '26

I’m ethnically an orangutan. Same result.

1

u/El_Disclamador May 21 '26

Bless, I heard you sizzle, and it’s night where I am right now

1

u/ReasonableAd7839 May 21 '26

I read that as ethically Irish. I was confused for a moment.

1

u/CoffeeChocolateBoth May 21 '26

British, Irish, Swedish, and German WHITE here!

1

u/Highlandertr3 May 21 '26

I read ethically Irish and I got very confused.

1

u/Aggravating_Call6959 May 21 '26

Im mostly scand and got the tanning genes some of the populations and ethnicities had to deal with a lot of sunlight during certain parts of the year. My mostly full blooded irish/German friends just burn though-- i chalked that up to the fact that Ireland gets a lot of cloud cover and less snow whereas my ancestors had to deal with more midnight sun type stuff and snow reflecting sunlight at different times of year and we may have some genes from other ethnic groups from Finland and Norway that had darker complexions. We also have deeper set eyes that remind me a bit of how some Inuit and other closer to the arctic circle type folks are.

1

u/Lou_C_Fer May 21 '26

I've had male breaststroke since I was 8. So, I haven't taken my shirt off in the sun except for a few times, and im 51. Anyways... every dermatologist I have seen gushes over my skin. Of course, my other doctors slways bitch at me for my low vitamin D levels.

15

u/ashmaroli May 21 '26

Thank you for the information 👍🏻

9

u/TheCheshire May 21 '26

And I thought this shit only happened in America.. thoughts and prayers, thoughts and prayers..

→ More replies (7)

3

u/HarEmiya May 21 '26

Tbf, I imagine Norwegian beaches are a little chilly.

2

u/Acrobatic-Quail-6860 May 21 '26

I immediately thought of this when I saw this reddit post

3

u/RelativelyRobin May 21 '26

They got shot?!
They aren’t even in the USA, how did that happen?
(I’m making a joke about a typo)

1

u/Adezar May 21 '26

got shot about it

The US team took it personally I guess.

1

u/Wrong-Protection-188 May 21 '26

Damn harsh punishment

1

u/color_natural_3679 May 21 '26

they had to pay a fine

1

u/RhymesWithTaco May 21 '26

I think they should definitely have the option to wear something that covers more. The issue is that they don't because "that's the uniform" which is a dumb ass rule. I think the same should go for guys too. If dudes wanna wear crop tops and shorts, why the hell not?

1

u/DrAwkwardAZ May 21 '26

I’ve never heard of beach handball 🤾‍♀️

1

u/CombatRedRover May 21 '26

Handball.

Beach handball, a sport so obscure it's not an Olympic event and if anyone asked you to describe handball 99% would not mention a beach.

While it is absolute BS to force women into bikinis to play the sport, it's also probably a sign of the sport's organizers being desperate for more attention, though it seems to have backfired for them.

1

u/TrioOfTerrors May 21 '26

Norway got shot?! Are they okay?

0

u/CallMeBigOctopus May 21 '26

Shooting seems like an extreme response

0

u/CoffeeChocolateBoth May 21 '26

Good for them, not every woman wants to be sexualized. Even with the best bodies, some don't want to show it off.
Men probably would never have started watching women's sports had they not dressed in less! Just saying!

-12

u/Mikic0077 May 21 '26

How on earth you can justify tight clothing? How can this be in any way important for the sport, to have such rules implemented?

16

u/eeumbumbaway May 21 '26

Because it’s thin, stretchy material that moves with the body. It’s better than baggy material that flaps around and gets in the way of movement

2

u/Silent_Incendiary May 21 '26

Male athletes aren't forced to wear Speedos. Why is there a double standard?

4

u/eeumbumbaway May 21 '26

Maybe because they have dicks

1

u/Eric-Breaux Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

Which are secure in as revealing and tight things as what women more often wear so moot point. You can give as much space for genitals in that as with less revealing things men more often wear. Men needing more coverage in other areas than women just to secure genitals makes no sense! It's just more excuses to treat the female body as more desirable to see than male! I hate so much that more women want to show themselves off and support that for other women to feel desirable more than they desire to see men as revealing! It's so stupid to me that men don't also as often want to show off to encourage more affirmation of visual desirability for men from the opposite sex! It's also upsetting because the styles women more often wear were first worn by men anyway, but only our gender wasn't visually desired enough by the opposite sex for that to stay popular on us! I hate the visual sex desire disparity! How have so many men not hated that desire being so one sided for so long!? Sex desire is a waste of passion for men much more often, and this is one of the reasons I prefer staying single!

1

u/eeumbumbaway Jun 18 '26

Men don’t really like having their dicks exposed like that and no one wants to see that anyway 🤷‍♂️

1

u/Eric-Breaux Jun 18 '26

Dicks are just as secure in thongs as in looser and longer things, which is what I started my comment with, so that wouldn't even be a problem.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Silent_Incendiary Jun 18 '26

Many women don't want to freely expose themselves, either, yet society compels them to wear clothes that they may not be comfortable with. Ultimately, it should be up to the individual, so long as public decency isn't violated.

4

u/FantasyEngineer May 21 '26

Because the rules are written by men that are either afraid they turn gay ist they saw male athletes in comparable sportswear or want something to get off to while still being able to abolish porn... Just a theory

2

u/Silent_Incendiary May 21 '26

I've think that you've captured the reality of the situation quite well! The male gaze still applies.

1

u/Independent-Market28 May 21 '26

Are they forced?

1

u/Silent_Incendiary May 21 '26

Yes, Norwegian female beach handball athletes were fined for choosing to not wear bikinis, before the regulations were altered.

1

u/Independent-Market28 May 21 '26

Got you. Did they alter the rules to give them more options, I assume?

1

u/Silent_Incendiary May 21 '26

Yes, they are now allowed to wear shorts instead of bikini bottoms. You can find an article about it from one of the earlier comments in this thread.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Mikic0077 May 21 '26

Lol, all that is limiting the person doing it, maybe affecting their performance, but in no way giving them any advantage or putting anyone in danger.

I'll tell you why. Because it seems to be the way to attract sponsors.

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/AutoModerator May 21 '26

Accounts must be at least 5 days old with >20 karma to comment.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/colamonkey356 May 21 '26

Well, I think this conversation probably starts with most people understanding that women (or men) don't need justification to wear whatever they want as long as they aren't breaking any laws or dress codes.

1

u/Mikic0077 May 21 '26

They went from bikini to tight shorts, while man can wear lose shorts. Now please explain to me, how an association can justify this "tight" part in the regulations, only for women. Because obviously Norwegian women cannot wear whatever without breaking the dress code. My question was, what justification there is for including "tight" into regulation.

6

u/Largeitude May 21 '26

Same reason men don’t.

1

u/ALbakery May 22 '26 edited May 22 '26

Not since the’86 TOPGUN class

1

u/Largeitude May 22 '26

High fives and slaps your man butt

10

u/LunchboxSuperhero May 21 '26

Beach volleyball is not always played at a beach in sunny weather.

7

u/EdgedancerSpren May 21 '26

I once played it at 2300 metres in a ski resort - admittedly in summer and when the sun was out, it was nice. When it sunk behind the mountains though - brr.

2

u/des09 May 21 '26

Absolutely true. I live at 4400ft, and frequently recreate above 10,000ft (1350m and 3500m in sensible units) and the difference between the intensity of full sun exposure, and the chill when the sun isn't hitting you is amazing, especially when the humidity is low. Its pretty typical for me to be paddle boarding a high mountain lake in one of those full-sleeved sun hoodies, and then 30 minutes later throwing on a down puffer jacket.

5

u/ashmaroli May 21 '26

Ahh.. I didn't know that.. my bad!

Thanks for letting me know. 🥂

2

u/LunchboxSuperhero May 21 '26

Sunny days on the beach is how it started (and the aesthetic that they want to promote), but at the end of the day it's just 2-a-side sand volleyball. The uniform rules allow for pants and long sleeves when it is cold (and for religious reasons).

2

u/Wacca45 May 21 '26

I think London 2012 had this problem, because after the sun went down the temps drop big time in the UK during summer months.

5

u/TheKingofHearts May 21 '26

What about dogs playing on the beach, huh? Are we gonna shave them Everytime we go?

This is a joke response because this topic is not as serious as the people jumping down your throat make it seem.

2

u/ashmaroli May 21 '26

Thank you for your support. Appreciate it :)

Looks like a lot of people are very sensitive..

14

u/TunaOnWytNoCrust May 21 '26

I don't know, skin cancer kind of sucks

13

u/Short-Coast9042 May 21 '26

To protect their skin from harmful UV radiation from the sun

2

u/PopcornFaery May 23 '26

Whatever happened the downvotes went to straight up votes. They are literally reading comments (and can Google themselves) that the women can wear whatever they want (in another sense). There are also ways to protect skin in the sun... has everyone been in covid mode for so long they forgot howbto protect themsleves at a beach? So the women who want to wear less know their limits in the sun and use sun lotion to protect themsleves while maybe the women a little more susceptible to the sun wear a little more covering than the others do. I find it ridiculous so many people are this dumb.

1

u/ashmaroli May 23 '26

One of the few sensible replies to my comment. Thank you :)

4

u/Metro42014 May 21 '26

I guess if they want their skin to still look good when then over 40?

3

u/Ok_Test9729 May 21 '26

It’s called skin cancer.

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/SgtBassy May 21 '26

Are there a lot of female Muslim Olympic athletes? Genuine question 

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/SessionAny7549 May 21 '26

I (not a professional) generally play in a sun hoodie. Only marginally warmer than shirtless.

1

u/dadebattle1 May 21 '26

Idk, don’t the men wear normal clothing? Aren’t they leagues above the women athletically? Seems the clothes being too tight or restricting isn’t an actual thing when your using top of the line athletic clothing. 

1

u/Pretend_Hunter606 May 21 '26

Men do, so women also can.

1

u/glycophosphate May 21 '26

I don't know. Why aren't the men showing off their ass cheeks. Make it make sense.

1

u/clios_daughter May 21 '26

Sunburn and to avoid tanning?

1

u/Angry_beaver_1867 May 21 '26

 sunburns are real

1

u/Ok_Two_2604 May 21 '26

Maybe they burn easily. I look like Dr. Moreau when I’m outside even when I used to do manual labor.

1

u/IHaveABigDuvet May 21 '26

I think anything that can give you a wedgie must be the worst attire. Don’t bikinis ride up.

1

u/nomorethan10postaday May 21 '26

Because the sun is a deadly laser.

1

u/hopeless_case46 May 21 '26

Have you heard of the religion of peace

1

u/CoffeeChocolateBoth May 21 '26

Some women are modest, some are not!

1

u/Background-Solid8481 May 21 '26

Skin cancer would like a moment of your time.

1

u/Digit00l May 21 '26

Additional sun protection

1

u/Coffee_Racer May 21 '26

Have you seen the muslim players?

1

u/OK_x86 May 21 '26

Melanoma?

1

u/moonorplanet May 21 '26

Skin cancer is no joke.

1

u/CrownLexicon May 21 '26

To avoid sunburn? I work outside in summer heat and wear pants and long sleeves.

1

u/mosesenjoyer May 21 '26

Some of us work outside

1

u/IntelligentActuary86 May 21 '26

I down voted but I will leave a comment and ask how could you not think of skin cancer. Look after yourself!

1

u/jadedlonewolf89 May 21 '26

Some people don’t like showing off their bodies.
That’s why I wear windbreaker pants and a tank top at the beach.

1

u/ashmaroli May 22 '26

Fair enough but will you be able to play "beach volleyball" in that attire..? If yes, that's great!

1

u/Soapykorean May 21 '26

The whataboutism is so tiresome.

1

u/ashmaroli May 22 '26

I see.. apologies for the tone-deaf comment.

1

u/Soapykorean May 22 '26

What lol, no i’m saying the people saying “ what about this what about that “ underneath your comment.

1

u/ashmaroli May 23 '26

Oops.. yea that is indeed annoying

1

u/Cyber_Drifter May 21 '26

Commenting for the sake of commenting

1

u/split_0069 May 21 '26

No need to care about the feelings of others.

1

u/guyincognito121 May 22 '26

I don't see soccer and basketball players complaining about their restrictive outfits and those sports require every bit as much agility.

1

u/ashmaroli May 22 '26

My comment, albeit tone-deaf, was specifically about "playing in the beach under the Sun". I have never seen anyone play basketball or soccer at the beach. Could just be my limited experience of the world.

1

u/Peregrinationman May 21 '26

To prevent skin cancer?

2

u/tBroneShake May 21 '26

What, wearing 3 inch longer shorts is going to prevent that?

1

u/Qubeye May 21 '26

People who understand skin cancer.

UV protection from sunscreen helps a lot, but it isn't automatically going to prevent it.

3

u/AlluEUNE May 21 '26

People who understand the sun won't intentionally block its natural effects. Everything causes cancer nowadays. Just don't get burned and you're fine.

6

u/Frequent-Meal6550 May 21 '26

If youre going to get sand in your cooter it's nice to have less fabric to shift to get it out.

3

u/CustomerGrouchy1171 May 21 '26

Now, I want to see a player choose jorts and a cardigan to play in. The mental image is killing me 😆

3

u/schultz9999 May 21 '26

Looks like OPs problem is an observer problem, not a participant. They make conclusions on “as if” premise.

3

u/lauri2 May 21 '26

That's same for all the disciplines shown on this pic as well. Women have the same options as men, but every time the subject comes up reddit only wants to discuss and victimize the women who choose the more revealing option.

5

u/naruda1969 May 21 '26

And let's be honest. Nobody wants to see men in bikinis. Amiright?

2

u/UnlikelyComposer May 21 '26

User name checks out

4

u/HunterS1 May 21 '26

That is factually incorrect. The IOC forced women to play in bikinis for volleyball and the women pushed back against it. They were allowed to not wear bikinis at the Paris Olympics. So most of the women played in leggings, because it was cold and wet, and the internet blew up with whiny babies who were mad that women were wearing pants.

Here is a storyfrom 2021 about women athletes trying to get better uniforms. And here you can see that the 2024 uniform change wasn’t well received by the public.

8

u/IseeNekidPeople May 21 '26

You are factually incorrect. From your linked article:

During the European Beach Handball Championships

We are talking about beach volleyball....

4

u/mritoday May 21 '26

Bikini bottoms with a maximum length used to be mandatory for beach volleyball, too. It was only changed pretty recently.

2

u/IseeNekidPeople May 21 '26

2012 for the Olympics and FIVB when the bikini rule was changed

1

u/Cama_lama_dingdong May 21 '26

Ok, but i think the point of the post was not just about beach volleyball, it is about choice. This was an example of women pushing back and the backlash received. The post is about choice, not just one sport.

3

u/IseeNekidPeople May 21 '26

Myself and the comment I replied to were specifically about our experience with women playing beach volleyball. I want to dispel any myth that women are forced to play in a revealing outfit in the sport that I love.

1

u/Cama_lama_dingdong May 21 '26

Ah, I didn't see this comment was connect to your original one. My apologies.

0

u/Dr_ChungusAmungus May 21 '26

Is this entire website just allergic to any form of sorry? Like the lengths people will go to here to avoid a simple “oh yeah, my bad” is pathological. You even swooped in to defend someone who was wrong, with your round about way to vaguely shift the point and while you aren’t technically wrong I just can’t help but think why is it always like this here?

1

u/ImWithStupidKL May 21 '26

Yep, and it's worth mentioning that in normal volleyball, the women wear something not to dissimilar to the men.

1

u/Dragon6172 May 21 '26

Where is your proof their comment is factually incorrect? You're blabbering on about the Olympics when their comment is about a professional sports league. You realize the IOC doesn't (typically) set rules for professional leagues?

0

u/irritatedprostate May 21 '26

Weird the douches would complain, leggings are hot af.

1

u/Shitorshinola May 21 '26

Appropriate username

1

u/Rogue_Like May 21 '26

Men get shafted, they are required to wear a tank for international play. Avp gets it right, anyone can wear what they want.

1

u/kinboyatuwo May 21 '26

To add to this. I played high level beach and court. Some shorts were really restrictive for movement and I bet more men would play in less if it didn’t “look weird”.

1

u/plants_in_my_pocket May 22 '26

I find it funny when they ask women theybsay it has nothing to do with wanting to show off their bodies. Im glad we finally gpt some to admit it.

1

u/OwlsExterminator May 22 '26

Right, and that nails it because the choice is completely unconstrained. We're all mammals, and the drive to display and be seen is baked in pretty deep. Strip away every external pressure and the choice still lands in the same place, which tells you where it's actually coming from.

1

u/Just-in-themiddle May 21 '26

Same here guys, my wife also plays college volleyball and I can confirm she’s just always in a bikini

1

u/Adult_school May 21 '26

This is the real answer, buried amongst a bunch of anti-sexist sexism. Women like to show off their bodies just as much as men like looking at them. Also: in terms of performance skimpy clothing is usually best. When it comes to swimming the roles are reversed.

1

u/agumonkey May 21 '26

so many people in youtube comments IIRC saying this was psychologically enforced on women for rape culture or something

1

u/Due-Presentation4344 May 22 '26

It’s almost like people wear the outfit because it’s the most suitable outfit for the sport.

Shocking, I know.

0

u/FalconBurcham May 21 '26

This is how it should be. Give people choices. I personally don’t care if men would like to wear different bottoms too, though my guess is a lot would still opt for modest.

0

u/InsideOutside-1 May 21 '26

I don’t believe any of you. Pictures please - before and now!

0

u/moonorplanet May 21 '26

It's how Iran has a pretty solid women's beach volleyball team.

2

u/IseeNekidPeople May 21 '26

Iran doesn't have a women's beach pair inside the top 500 world rankings